PRIVATIZING Penna. liquor sales would strip state of sorely needed funds while increasing alcohol
abuse, stated Black Clergy of Phila. & Vicinity in press conference.
See story P. 2.
THESE doors continue to welcome all to faith services as Old St.
Mary’s Roman Catholic Church as it marks its 250 year. Its adjacent cemetery holds remains of many of colonial leaders and war
Photo by Teresa Isabella
heroes. More pics inside on page 9.

Taxes Going Up, Up, Up….
AFSCME city workers teamed with other citizens to deplore AVI
favoritism of big business over homeowners, in protest in front of
lofty Comcast Building, which pays no real-estate taxes.
www.Phillyrecord.com

Clergy Decries More Access To Booze; Opponents Target 15% Drink Tax
by Joe Shaheeli
Unless the Black Clergy of
Philadelphia & Vicinity can
find Republican legislators
and senators it has supported
in the past, odds are Gov.
Tom Corbett’s plan to privatize Pennsylvania state liquor
stores is still doable as far as
GOP leadership in the General
Assembly is concerned.
They intend to pass their
version of the budget, without
some of the goodies included in
the Democratic version. Republican legislators have shown
they move to the drumbeat of
their leadership when it comes
to key legislation. Once that’s
done, and barring a delay in the
budget’s approval, look for
Corbett’s teams to try to move
the privatization bill into law
before recess.
This doesn’t sit well with
the Black Clergy group,
which has decided to maintain
a watch over what happens in
Harrisburg as far as privatization is concerned.
They gathered at a press
conference at the church of its
President Rev. Terrence Griffith, who spoke for the group,
saying the measure would
make it easier to obtain alco-

BLACK CLERGY leaders 1st VP Rev. Jay Broadnax, left,
and President Rev. Terrence Griffith condemned sale of LCB
to private business as bad business for Commonwealth,
harmful to working families and dangerous for public health.
hol. That, he said, would
cause “a spike in underage
drinking and drunken driving.
We do not want to see liquor
sold on every corner in the
city of Philadelphia. We don’t
want to see more deaths in our
community.”
The Majority Republicans,
in both chambers of the General Assembly, are pressing to
pass a $28.3 billion budget
plan that boosts K-12 education funding, restores several
public-health programs, hires
300 new state troopers, and
increases funding for some

state offices.
House Majority Leader
Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny)
has said should the Governor’s proposed privatization
of state liquor stores pass, revenues from the auction of new
licenses will not affect the
2013-14 state budget.
The Corbett plan to dismantle the Pennsylvania
Liquor Control Board and
give up control of all state
liquor stores is expected to
raise between $800 million
and $1.2 billion by selling
state liquor stores and auction-

ing off new private liquor licenses. Corbett suggested the
$1 billion yield would go toward funding education.
A compromise bill in the
House passed in March, but debate has stalled in the Senate.
The House bill would create
1,200 new private wine- and
liquor-store licenses, but would
set competitive standards that
state stores must meet in order
to remain open, rather than explicitly shut down all state-controlled outfits.
Adding pressure to stall
and possibly kill the privatization effort are unions, supporting Wendell Young, IV,
president of Local 1776,
whose members work in the
state liquor stores.
On another front, Hospitality United of Philadelphia,
under the direction of William
R. Miller, V, organized a
“Stop the Liquor Tax
Rally/Fundraiser” at the new
FOP headquarters located at
11630 Caroline Road in the
Northeast.
John McNesby of the FOP
said, “We were more than
happy to donate our space for
such a worthy cause for
Philadelphians. We had bar

owners, operators, and distributors from all over the city
here in solidarity. We will
stay together as a group;
working to defeat this present
issue and we will remain vigilant addressing any future issues that would have a
likewise negative impact.”
City Councilman Bobby
Henon, who has been their
point man in Council, was glad
to see over 300 at the gathering, saying it “showed me people really care about education
but they are disappointed in the
lack of accountability as it relates to the School District and
the City’s abysmal rate of tax
collections.”
More than 300 participated
in that fundraiser, as well as
in a rally inside City Council
chambers this week to oppose
Mayor Nutter’s proposed
“Liquor by the Drink” tax increase of 10% to 15% to support the School District.
Hospitality taxes, like the
“Liquor by the Drink” tax,
are clearly seen by the opposition as “bad for business,
bad for consumers and bad for
Philadelphia,” according to
Finnigan’s Wake owner Mike
Driscoll.

www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000

Staten, Sr. Charitable Trust Golf Classic Raises $157K
The Samuel Staten, Sr.
Charitable Trust continues
to raise oneyh to benefit
those in need. It raised
$157,000 at its 14th Annual
Charity Golf Classic.
The outing was held in
honor of Dennis L. Martire,
VP & Mid-Atlantic Regional
Manager of the Laborers’
International Union of North
America.
“Despite the rain, over
160 golfers turned out for
the event,” said Dana Brady
of Blackman Brady Communications, the outing’s organizer. “Their dedication
to the cause was evident as
they played in the downpour
and then stayed for the dinner banquet in spite of being
drenched.”
Martire was presented

Dennis L. Martire, VP & Mid-Atlantic regional manager of
the Laborers’ International Union of North America, receives
the Making A Difference Award at Charity Golf benefit from
Ryan Boyer, business manager of Laborers District Council
of Phila. Metropolitan Area & Vicinity, flanked by, on right,
Samuel Staten, Jr., business Manager of Laborers’ Local 332;
and, on left, James Harper, Jr., business manager of Laborers’ Local 413.
with the Making A Difference Award at the evening
banquet by Ryan Boyer,
business manager of Laborers District Council of the
Philadelphia Metropolitan

Area & Vicinity; Samuel
Staten, Jr., business manager of Laborers’ Local 332;
and James Harper, Jr., business manager of Laborers’
Local 413.

Independence Blue Cross
was inducted into the 50k
Shining Star Club for contributing over $50,000 since
the inception of the outing. They join 2012 inductees: Columbia Partners,
Perry N. Blackman, CPA
and
ROC
Consulting
Group.
Proceeds from this event
benefit various charities including the Qa’id Staten
Memo chose the Make-AWish Foundation, whose
mission is to grant the
wishes of children with lifethreatening medical, as one
of the charities to benefit.
The Samuel Staten, Sr.
Charitable Trust provides a
variety of services to the
needy and otherwise-underserved community members

throughout the five-county
area of Philadelphia. It illustrates the power of organized labor to make a
difference in our community.
The Samuel Staten, Sr.
Charitable Trust, formerly
The Laborers’ District
Council Charity Fund until
2011, was renamed to honor
Samuel Staten, Sr., the man
who founded the LDC Charity Fund through a purely
unselfish act of charity during his time as business
manager of secretary-treasurer of the LDC.
Now retired, Staten, Sr.
continues to work with the
charity’s Board of Directors
to raise funds to assist a
wide range of charitable organizations.

by Joe Shaheeli
Marjorie Margolies looks
good on paper. Since losing
her seat due to voter indignation over delivering the one
vote by which President Bill
Clinton saddled a big incometax hike on all taxpayers, she’s
maintained a high profile.
Now she wants to regain
the seat she lost back then as
representative of the 13th Congressional Dist. in Pennsylvania. Can that profile translate
into the votes she needs to
overcome announced primary

opponents State Rep. Brendan
Boyle (D-Northeast) and State
Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery)?
Both have strong followings in the 13th by virtue of
their respective offices. In addition, Brendan has the support of the City’s Democratic
organization for this goaround.
Margolies is the President
of Women’s Campaign International, a group that provides
advocacy training for women
throughout the world. WCI

Marjorie Looks Good On Paper!

was the first international organization to bring Bosnian
and Serbian women together.
Its trainings in Africa led to
the doubling of women in several parliaments on the continent.
WCI has gone to some of
the most dangerous places in
the world – from Afghanistan
to Sri Lanka, Bosnia-Herzegovina to Columbia – to train,
encourage, and empower
women. And in each of these
missions, she has brought a
team that has included young
women from the United States
to carry on the mission of WCI
for generations to come.
Margolies’ career has been
a career of firsts: one of the

A True Family Affair!

Photos by
Joe Stivala

first woman television journalists on the ground in Vietnam;
the first unmarried US citizen
to adopt a foreign child; the
first woman ever elected to
Congress from Pennsylvania

in her own right; the first Democrat since 1916 elected
from Pennsylvania’s 13th Dist.
During her term in the
House, Marjorie co-sponsored
and fought for passage of legislation that is still relevant: the
Family & Medical Leave Act,
the ban on assault weapons,
and increased federal funding
for women’s health care.
In 1995, Marjorie served as
director of the United States
State Rep.

delegation to the United Nations 4th World Conference on
Women in Beijing, China,
which created a global commitment to achieving equality,
development and peace for
women worldwide.
Marjorie is currently teaching at the Fels Institute of Government at the University of
Pennsylvania. In addition, as a
Woodrow Wilson Fellow,
(Cont. Next Page)

IT’S obvious well-run Penna. wine and spirits stores are welcome
into many communities. Here State Rep. John Sabatina, Jr. helps
cut ribbon opening one in his Northeast district.

fice. Mr. Williams’ dynamic
career shines as an example of
success and pride for him, his
family and the School Police.”
Boyle has become a household name in much of the 13th,
through his service as the
170th Legislative Dist. member, to which he was elected in
2008. He has also set up liaisons with other House members in the Montgomery Co.
portion of the District. Boyle
packs clout among fellow Democrats in the House because
he heads their campaign committee.
Not missing vote-getting
beats either, Daylin Leach has
carried off the endorsement of
the United Automobile, Aero-

State Rep.

space & Agricultural Implement Workers of America. “It
is with great enthusiasm that
the members of the UAW endorse Daylin Leach to replace
Rep. Allyson Schwartz in Congress,” said Scott Adams, Director of UAW Region 9.
“Since he was first elected to
the Pennsylvania legislature in
2002, Daylin has demonstrated
unmatched support for working families in Southeastern
Pennsylvania. In countless instances, he has led the fight in
Harrisburg to protect the middle class and preserve workers’
rights, while spurring economic development and creating more jobs. Our members
know that he will bring the

JAMES, 2nd-grader at Jubilee School in University City, joined his
fellow students as he asks three questions about politics and government of State Rep. Jim Roebuck at USciences. Democratic Chair of
House Education Committee, Roebuck is a former teacher.

same fight to Washington that
he’s known for in Harrisburg.”

Obama Must Heed
Voter Sentiment
President Barack Obama
may not find polls very interesting, since he can’t run for a
third term. But he needs to
heed public polling sentiment if
he doesn’t want to go down in
presidential history as one of
this country’s lesser stars.
For the first time since his
second term began, one of the
major polls showed him joining the Congress on the minus
side of the ledger in voter sentiment. He’s slipped down to

the latter below 20%. This is
based on Quinnipiac University’s national polling.
The President’s biggest
drop is among independent
voters, who give him a negative 37-57% score, compared
to a negative 42-48% May 1.
That’s due, says Peter
Brown of the Quinnipiac
Polling Institute, to “overwhelming bipartisan support
for a special prosecutor to investigate the IRS. Voters ap-

Anybody who ever ran for
office in this city for almost the
past four decades knew they
had a friend in Dennis Kelly,
Elections Registration Bureau
supervisor. He always had
time, no matter how busy the
demand on his office and staff,
to patiently answer questions
from candidates. He died recently at the age of 62.
Dennis was a longtime
member of the Ancient Order
of Hibernians in America,
Div. 87, and had the 4th degree conferred in 1997. He
was a member of the Sons of
American Legion Squadron 40
and was extremely proud to be
a member of the Honor Guard,
Danville American Legion
Post 40.

Councilman

Kenyatta

Johnson
2nd Dist.
City Hall Room 580
Phila., PA 19107

215-686-3412

]|ÅÅç W|Çà|ÇÉ
GOP
(215) 468-2300

Although Memorial Day has passed, you can still show
your support for veterans through a new license plate.
The plate is inscribed with the phrase “Honoring Our
Veterans” and features an image of the American flag
and a bald eagle. The cost is $35, of which $15 goes to
the Veterans Trust Fund. This fund is used to support
and assist Pennsylvania veterans and their families.
To learn more about this plate or to set up an appointment with Veterans Services Coordinator Joe Buckley,
please call my office at 215-695-1020.
Parkwood Shopping Center
12361 Academy Road, Phila., PA 19154,
215-281-2539
8016 Bustleton Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19152
215-695-1020

State Rep.

Jordan

Harris
186th Dist.
1310 Point Breeze Ave.
Phila., PA 19137

215-952-3378 P.
215-952-1141 F.

Open Mon. - Fri. 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Sen.Mike Stack
SERVING THE 5TH DISTRICT

www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000

State Senator

State Representative

parently don’t like the idea of
Attorney General Eric Holder
investigating the matter himself, perhaps because they
don’t exactly think highly of
him. Holder gets a negative
23-39% job-approval rating.”

The Public Record • June 6, 2013

(Cont. From previous P.)
Marjorie lectures at universities throughout the country.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a CBS
News Foundation Fellow at
Columbia University, Marjorie
began her career as a television
journalist at WCAU-TV in
Philadelphia.
For two decades, Marjorie
was a journalist with NBC and
its owned and operated stations
both in New York and Washington, D.C. She was a contributing correspondent to the
“Today Show”, “Sunday
Today”, “A Closer Look” and
CNBC.
In the meantime, looking to
add to his voter base, Boyle
keeps doing the right things in
his district. He recently honored Lorin Williams for his 38
years of service to the school
district in a variety of capacities. Upon presenting the citation, Boyle said, “His valiant
career spans roles as a night
patrol officer, an investigator,
a supervisor for the Weapons
Scan Division, and working
with the Dist. 4 Regional Of-

Kids Question Roebuck

Page 5

Sabatina Cuts Ribbon

Waters Hosts Senior Expo Closets Tailored For Vet Philaposh Remembers

The Public Record • June 6, 2013

Page 6

MRS.
MARIE
Washington,
89
years old, was oldest
senior in attendance
at Senior Expo at
Kipp
Charter
School hosted by
State Rep. Ron Waters, who presented
her with copy of his
Older Americans
Month Resolution.
Photo by Martin Regusters,
Leaping Lion Photography

MARCIA
MARTIN,
VP of Gateway Health
which was
event’s corporate sponsor,
takes
time out for
this
photo
with
State
Rep.
Ron
Waters. Photo

www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000

by
Martin
Regusters,
Leaping
Lion Photography

FORMER police dispatcher and wounded
Vietnam veteran paraplegic Jim McGuire is
pictured with owner of
ClosetsByDesign, Charles
Waterman
and Cay
Evans, ClosetsByDesign
designer, who donated
complete remake of his
home’s closets, making
them more accessible for
him. With McGuire is his
wife Lorraine.

Temple Honors Sen. Tartaglione

SOLEMN march up Columbus Boulevard, led by piper,
brought Philaposh members to Penns Landing to fight for
occupational safety and health. There labor activists commemorated workers who died on the job in Delaware Valley
last year as Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, 3rd from right, gave
invocation.

STATE SEN. Christine M. Tartaglione, left, was honored by
Institute on Disabilities at Temple University for her work in
promoting assistive technology access for disabled Pennsylvanians. Presentation took place at Institute’s 40th anniversary celebration. At right are Celia S. Feinstein and Amy S.
Goldman, co-executive directors of Institute.

"I would like to thank all of my supporters including
Local 332, Laborers District Council, Black Clergy
and Vicinity Inc , AFSCME D.C. 33, Guardian Civic
League, Returning Citizens for a Better Philadelphia,
LEAD, ACBC Pac, Pentecostal Clergy and Action
United as well as Philadelphia voters, community
leaders and organizations - especially all of the
committee people and Congrats to the other
candidates. A special thank you to my Campaign
Manager 6th Ward Leader Pete Wilson, the Friends
of Sierra Street, and my family . WE DID IT!"

Union Labor…Building it right
for a better and stronger community
And promoting renaissance of North Broad St.
Laborers’ District Council of the Metropolitan Area of
Philadelphia and vicinity is comprised of four unions:
Local 332, Samuel Staten, Jr.,
Vincent Primavera, Jr.
Business Manager/Co-Chairman L.E.C.E.T. Co-Chairman
Local 135, Daniel L. Woodall, Jr., Damian Lavelle
Business Manager
L.E.C.E.T. Management Trustee
Local 413, James Harper, Jr.,
Fred Chiarlanza
Business Manager
L.E.C.E.T. Management Trustee
Local 57, Walt Higgins
Harry Hopkins
Business Manager
L.E.C.E.T. Management Trustee
Laborers District Council, Ryan N. Boyer,
Business Manager.

Laborers’ District Council promotes a safe work environment,
jobs completed on time and on budget, and represents
union members, who are well trained, productive, professional,
and take pride in their work. Union labor…building better
and safer communities in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester,
Delaware, and Montgomery Counties.
This ad is presented by LECET

ization of neighborhoods targeted by the City, testing new
opportunities and approaches
for assisting low- and very lowincome families, and increasing
the number of units available to
income-eligible individuals who
are disabled, homeless or have
special needs.
PHA is accepting proposals
for the program through the
end of 2014. Developers and
others interested in viewing the
RFP can request a copy by following the instructions posted
at http://www.pha.phila.gov/b
usiness-opportunities.aspx.

TRAINED
SKILLS

The Public Record • June 6, 2013

We Invite You
To Capitalize On
The 20 Years Of
Experience
And Skill Of
Attorney

to extremely low-income
households (less than 80% of
area median income).
Operating subsidies could
go as high as $550 per month.
Applicants to the subsidy
program may also request capital funds to support the acquisition or new construction of
units to house families eligible
for public housing.
The unit-based operating
subsidy program also has the
goals of increasing affordable
housing opportunities in neighborhoods not impacted by
poverty, fostering the revital-

NORTH BRO
N
O
A

TREET
DS

The Philadelphia Housing
Authority has launched the formal process to form new development partnerships as part
of its “6 in 5” Initiative, which
is designed to create or preserve 6,000 affordable-housing
units over the next five years.
The agency has issued a request for proposals for a local
unit-based operating subsidy
program to assist developments
that serve low-income households. The subsidies may be
used for existing, newly constructed, or renovated housing
units, and will provide longterm financial assistance to
property owners.
“The severe reduction in
federal funding for affordable
housing makes these types of
partnerships critical to our success,” said Kelvin A. Jeremiah,
president and CEO of PHA.
“For too long, we operated on
our own. We cannot meet the
need for affordable housing in
Philadelphia by ourselves.”
The RFP (formally known
as P-004278) invites proposals
from property owners and developers with existing units
and new construction that are
or will be available for rental

UNION
LABOR

Page 7

PHA Offers Partnership Deals
To Developers And Site Owners

Page 8

Republican-Controlled Chambers Move To Kill Traffic Court
Philadelphia Traffic Court is
the objection of disaffection by
the Republican controlled Gen-

eral Assembly and proved it as
the House voted 117-81 to approve a constitutional change to

Contractors and Home Owners!

The Public Record • June 6, 2013

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RAB
Resident Advisory Board
Are you a resident of the
Philadelphia Housing Authority?
Do you need our help?
We are here to serve you!
Call: 215-684-5007/8
5632 Walnut Street
Philadelphia PA 19139

eliminate the court. It was
strictly a party-line vote as far as
the Republicans were concerned.
The bill had passed the Senate easily last month. It must
now pass another session of the
General Assembly before it goes
on a statewide referendum for
the voting public to decide.
A more-crucial bill, transferring Traffic Court duties to the
Municipal Court, was expected
to pass the House by approximately the same margin as this
paper went to press. This one is
expected to go to the Senate for
speedy approval and onward to
the Governor,who is expected to
sign it.
State Sen. Dominic Pileggi
(R-Delaware), the Majority
Leader, has been the architect
and chief sponsor of the legislation. He defended his effort by
saying, “Only Philadelphia has a
Traffic Court.”
In the meantime, Traffic
Court’s primary winners are in
limbo. They campaigned for
months, only to be told their goal
to win a seat in Traffic Court is
being wiped out.

Especially concerned was
Congressman Bob Brady (DPhila.) , chairman of the Democratic City Committee. He
understood the Republicans were
calling for a party-line vote on
the killing legislation, especially
since it appears the General
Election vote — with a 7-1 Democratic plurality — would literally guarantee wins by the three

Democratic nominees, Omar
Sabir,
Marnie
Aument
Loughrey, and Donna DeRose,
against the two Republican nominees, Ella Butcher and Chris
Vogler.
Brady said, “I am deeply
concerned. Every avenue to save
Traffic Court is being explored.
It is a shame the Republican-controlled Assembly does not un-

derstand the ramifications of its
actions.”
Observers of this effort to
eliminate Traffic Court as a
Philadelphia institution is seen as
a Republican strategy, hoping to
weaken the Democrat City Committee, and use the Court’s recent problems as another reason
to support Republican candidates.

St. Maron’s Dedicates Huge Catering Hall
SOUTH PHILADELPHIANS now
have available to them spacious
catering hall which was dedicated
Sunday as Monsignor Sharbel
Community Center adjacent to St.
Maron’s Church at 10th &
Ellsworth Streets. Over 300 attended dedication and official opening of huge community center by
Bishop Gregory Mansour. For hallrental info call (215) 334-1884.

Police Surveillance Cameras Flunk
Commit a crime in
Philadelphia and chances are
you were seen by a police surveillance camera. But sadly

for police followup, chances
are 3 to 1 the camera wasn’t
working.
According to City Controller

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
FOR THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE
SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL)
Case No.: INC1207805
NOTICE TO DEFENDANTS: The Testate and Intestate Successors of Val Jay
Janelunas, deceased, and all persons claiming by, through or under Val Jay
Janelunas; The Testate and Intestate Successors of Joseph C. Janelunas, deceased, and all persons claiming by, through or under Joseph C. Janelunas;
All Persons Unknown, Claiming any Legal or Equitable Right, Title, Estate, Lien
or Interest to the Property described in the Complaint adverse to Plaintiff’s title,
or any cloud on Plaintiff’s title thereto; Does 1-50.
YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: Douglas Humphrey, an individual
and sole successor and heir to the Estate of Diana Janelunas Humphrey.
You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are
served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served
on the plaintff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response
must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may
be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court
forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center
(www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.
If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and
your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from
the court.
There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away.
If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service.
If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from
a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at
the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp, or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a
statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award
of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court
will dismiss the case.
The name and address of the court is: Superior Court, County of Riverside, 46200 Oasis Street, Indio, CA 92201.
The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: Christopher Kelley, SBN# 86229, Attorney at Law, 9562
Winter Gardens Blvd., # D-287 Lakeside, CA 92040.
DATE: 11-6-2012.
By, C R (C. Regalado), Deputy.
The property the above-referenced summons relates to is the land in Riverside
County bearing parcel number 685-060-007, legally described as 1.60 Acres
M/L IN POR NW ¼ of SCC 30 T4S R6E.

Alan Butkovitz, a followup
audit of Philadelphia’s police
surveillance cameras found only
32% of the sampled cameras
were functioning properly.
The followup audit included
a sample of 31 installed cameras
to review the quality, performance and functionality. Following the release of the
Controller’s initial surveillance
camera audit last June, it was
projected that 90% of the cameras would be working by September 2012.
“This means that at any
given time when crime is occurring around our city, only a
third of the cameras are able to
capture criminal activity,” said
Butkovitz.
The Controller’s observations of the video footage captured
by
the
non-fully
functioning cameras included
the following: Condensation and
water in camera domes and on
the lens, making it impossible to
identify people or objects; images with jagged, pixilated
edges when the camera captures
movement, making it difficult to
read licenses plates or otheroidentifying items; Objects
such as traffic lights and trees
blocking visibility; and no
image at all, rendering only a
pink screen.

Page 9

Our Opinion...
Mayor Takes It To Harrisburg

Letters • Letters • Letters
other for wrongful use of civil
proceedings: (1) He acts in a
grossly negligent manner or
without probable cause and primarily for a purpose other than
that of securing the proper discovery, joinder of parties or adjudication of the claim in which
the proceedings are based.”
Not one bill in which Larry
was the prime sponsor has become law.
John H. Morley, Jr.
Casey Anti-American?
I am an American-born citizen, and a Palestinian. Last
May, I attempted to travel to
Palestine through Israel (which
is the only way to visit my
homeland). Instead, I was
turned away in Tel Aviv, jailed
overnight, and put on the next
plane back to the US.
My entry wasn’t barred because I’m a Quaker, or a
mother. I was turned away because I am Palestinian.

What was more shocking,
when I called the US State
Dept. they told me that, regardless of citizenship, if I “wasn’t
Jewish,” they couldn’t help me.
And if we don’t act now,
this de facto US tolerance of Israeli racial profiling could become the law of the land.
Sen. Bob Casey — our Senator — is co-sponsoring SB
462, the “United States-Israel
Strategic Partner Act of 2013.”
This sweeping legislation includes a visa waiver agreement
with Israel that no other country
in the world has. It would give
Israelis the right to enter the US
without a visa, while preserving
Israel’s “right” to deny entry to
any American-born citizen.
And the record shows that
“anyone” means Palestinian
Americans, Arab Americans,
Muslim Americans, and even
Jewish peace activists.
This bill is an affront to
basic principles of equality and
dignity. And it’s further evidence of the overwhelmingly
biased US approach to Israel —
a policy that harms all Americans.
Sandra Tamari

Farnese’s Law
You reported on May 23
State Sen. Larry Farnese had
introduced a bill that would reduce strategic lawsuits against
public participation.
Last year I ran against Larry
and he sued me to remove my
name from the ballot. The judge
refused to allow voter testimony
related to the authenticity of
their own signatures and removed my name from the ballot. Instead of protecting the
rights of people, Larry deprived
1,200 people of the right to
nominate a candidate and deprived me of the right to be a
candidate.
Pennsylvania already has a
law that does what his bill intends. It’s called the Dragonetti
Act, 42 Pa.C.S.A. §8351.
It states in part, “A person
who takes part in the procurement, imitation or continuation
of civil proceedings against another is subject to liability to the

The Public Record • June 6, 2013

Mayor Michael A. Nutter addressed the General
Assembly at a press conference in Harrisburg, to
advocate for increased funding for Philadelphia
public schools from the Commonwealth, and for
the passage of legislation enabling the City to provide new revenue to the School District and a student-weighted funding formula for all school
districts in the Commonwealth.
Joining him were Dr. William Hite and other educational leaders. Following the press conference,
they visited with key legislators from both parties
and both houses.
It might not be too late, since the budget is now
the main topic on the legislative calendar.
His pitch was, “Greater Philadelphia is the fifthlargest metropolitan area in the United States of
America. Philadelphia is essential to the economic
growth of Pennsylvania, and high-quality education
is essential to a skilled and competent workforce.
One in every 11 children in Pennsylvania – nearly
200,000 students - attends a Philadelphia public
school, underfunded. The School District currently
faces a $304 million structural deficit. This hurts
all public school students – district and charter
alike.”
We laud him on his initiative and his pleas for
additional funding for a minimum of $120 million
should not fall on deaf ears. How the city’s youth
fares affects the Commonwealth as well.

The Public Record • June 6, 2013

Page 10

Old St. Mary's Celebrates 250th Year

OFFICIATING at ceremonies marking 250th anniversary of Old St. Mary’s
Roman Catholic Church on S. 4th Street in Society Hill was Archbishop Chaput
and members of Commodore John Barry Association of New York. St. Mary’s
Photo by Teresa Isabella
Cemetery holds remains of Commodore Barry.

Medical Gateway And Parker

New ‘Cedar’ Towers
Over South Philly

MAYOR Michael Nutter with host of civic leaders cuts ribbon on

COUNCILMAN Mark Squilla and Teresa Isspanking new Cedar Village Apts. near 9th Street Italian Market,
abella stand next to historical marker signifying developed in conjunction with CDC linked to St. Maron’s Church.
event, which will be dedicated in near future.
Marker was initiated by Celeste Morello.

Vets Vouchers

CEDAR VILLAGE pays tribute to historic Lebanese Maronite community of S. Phila. but it rents to seniors of all creeds and ethnicities.

INVOLVED in bringing 64 new rental apartments at Cedar Village
for seniors over 55 years of age were State Sen. Larry Farnese, Father Vincent Farhat, Councilman Mark Squilla, Father Mike
Marone, PIDC’s Natalia Buckley and Denise Eddis.

FORMER City Revenue Commissioner Keith J. Richardson is
now Managing Director of
Philadelphia Housing Authority
Development Corp. He will direct development of additional
public-housing units and mixedincome and mixed-use projects
and commercial activities.

HONORED guests at Cedars
Village opening included Lee Esposito, president of St. Maron
CDC, right, his wife Mary Ella,
and attorney Dennis George.

COBBS CREEK Community Environmental Education Center was praised by School District Superintendant Dr. TOGGED in stylish pink cardigan for Susan G. Komen Walk
William Hite for introducing inner-city youths to fast-grow- For Cure was State Rep. Dwight Evans. CONTRASTING in
ing green-science careers as State Sen. Anthony Williams and blue was husky runner former Gov. Ed Rendell.
Photos by Leona Dixon
Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell listen.

WARD 49B Leader Ann Brown congratulates Al Willis, commander of Roche Post 21 American Legion, on his 91st birthday, and presented with a “Deputy Sheriff” badge by State SHERIFF Jewell Williams, Democratic ward leader in the
Sen. Anthony Williams, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson and 16th Ward, addresses committee people and residents at a
Photo by Rory McGlasson
State Rep. Ron Waters.
Photo by Joe Stivala community meeting in N. Phila.

FOOD TRUST, DaVinci Art Alliance and others joined to
use art as a way to raise money to fight hunger. At exhibit
were organizers Linda Dubin Garfield and Susan DiPronio
with Moe Brooker of Mayor’s Commission of Arts.

Cars Benefit Horsepower Brownlee Hears Mill Ck.

Photo by Bill Myers

Passing Ball

FIRST Conference exploring historical and cultural contribution of sports and its impact on race and gender brought
STATE REP. Michelle Brownlee held town-hall meeting at together Drew Brown, Temple University PhD student and
Mt. Olivet for Mill Creek residents, filling them in on her conference organizer; Dr. Richard E. Lapchick, (National
fight for school funding and other important issues in Har- Consortium for Academics & Sports; and Dr. Thabiti Lewis,
risburg this month. Lending attentive ear was Councilwoman author of Ballers of the New School: Race and Sports in
America, all of whom spoke. Photo by Martin Regusters, Leaping Lion Photography
Photo by Rory McGlasson Jannie Blackwell.
DREXEL University celebrated achievements of Dr.
Stephen R. Cox, at its Annual Provost Award Dinner. Dr.
Cox is founder, co-principal investigator and project director of the National Science Foundation’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. During last 18 years
Alliance has been responsible for graduating over 11,000
African American, Latino and Native American engineers
and scientists with BS degrees, 3,000 MS degrees and 350
PhDs from a nine-university consortium. Pictured with Dr.
Stephen Cox at award presentation, seated, are Veniece
Keene, LSAMP chief of staff; Hon. Nadine Overton, judge
COMCAST CARES DAY brought out 200 volunteers to
of Federal District Court, Verna Cox, Dr. Linda Powell,
paint interior of Blankenburg ES. From left are Principal
LSAMP Community College of Phila.; and Annette MurMalika Savory Brooks, State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown,
ray. Standing, from left, are Tony Regusters; Hon. James
Comcast Dir. of Government Affairs Sharon Powell and Fire
Deleon, judge of Municipal Court; Dr. Stephen Cox; Louis
Battalion Chief and President of Valiants’ Inc. Eric Fleming
Rhodes, Jr.; Hon. George Overton, judge, Court of ComPhoto by Martin Regusters, Leaping Lion Photography.
Photo by Martin Regusters, Leaping Lion Photography
and firefighters.
mon Pleas; and Curtis Murray.

Drexel Honors Dr. Stephen R. Cox

www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000

STATE SEN. Mike
Stack presents “Best In
Car Show” award to
Doris Dixon, owner of
1970 Silver Cadillac, at
special benefit held on
Mechanicsville Road.
Proceeds from family
fun day went toward
Parkwood Therapeutic
Riding Center. Joining
Stack and Dixon are
Sarah DelRicci and
Sarah O’Neill.

fibrosis. Without a lung transplant, she is not expected to survive the summer. As lungs from child donors are rare, her
doctor has asked that she be considered for an adult lung.
However, current regulations preclude her from being considered for available lungs until all eligible adult recipients
have seen served, even if their needs for transplants are not
as immediate. Toomey is calling on Secretary Sebelius to intervene in order to save Sarah’s life.
Sebelius stated on Tuesday it would be inappropriate for
her to amend the rule. Interesting which Health & Human Resources rules she is willing to violate and the ones she feels
she must obey. In her mind it is okay to mace private insurance companies (that she regulates) for funding to roll out her
informational campaign for Obamacare. But she finds it inappropriate to expedite the amendment of an arbitrary rule to
save the life of a Sarah and other children in her predicament.
Toomey and the rest of the Pennsylvania delegation are
back in D.C. this week. Local CONGRESSMAN JIM
GERLACH (R-Montgomery), as a member of the Ways &
Means Committee, has a front-row seat to an unfolding
drama concerning the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups
for inappropriate and apparently illegal additional scrutiny
when those groups applied for 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 status. One
(Cont. Page 15)

www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000

US SEN. PAT TOOMEY was in
Philadelphia last Friday. He appeared on a
local television station talking about the
need for Health & Human Resources SECRETARY KATHLEEN SEBELIUS to
help 10-year-old SARAH MURNAGHAN
of Delaware Co. Sarah needs new lungs
owing to her severe and debilitating cystic

If you’re a regular reader of this column, you’ll know that
few things get on my nerves more than watching politicos
show off their abilities to be of two mouths on any issue.
One of the issues that our Political Chattering Class tends
to do this the most with is the issue of education. While one
mouth is singing from the Whitney Houston songbook (“I believe the children are our future…”), the other is giving us
straight Flava Flav (“I can’t do nuttin’ fo ya man!”)
The side with nothing to offer, in case you’re wondering,
is the side that’s been asked to help school districts do what
they need to do better by passing off a few more shekels …
something they can’t do because, hey, there’s a tax cut for
fracking, building stadiums, or some other rich man’s profit
center that must be provided.
Never do we hear this duet of one from our Political Chattering Class more than at this time of year. Why? Because it’s
School Budget Time and there seems to be something about
words like “millage” that turns even the most-honest politico into
someone most parents would like to hit with a sledgehammer.
As school districts look at what they have to work with
and find themselves singing the Peggy Lee classic “Is That
All There Is?”, they find themselves hoping for some muchneeded assistance.
Nowhere is that hope more evident than here in the School
District of Philadelphia, a district with a budget hole so deep
that those who climb through it can grab a shrimp from the
barbie. In the Commonwealth’s largest district, a district that
(Cont. Page 15)

Yo! Here we go again with this point of view sent to me by a reader.
One day I had lunch with some friends including Bob, who was about 69 years old. All in
all, a pleasant bunch. When the menus were presented, we ordered salads, sandwiches, and
soups, except for Bob who said, “Ice cream, please; two scoops, chocolate. Along with heated
apple pie,” Bob added, completely unabashed.
I wasn’t sure my ears heard right. We tried to act quite nonchalant, as if people did this all the time.
But when our orders were brought out, I didn’t enjoy mine. I couldn’t take my eyes off Bob as his pie
à la mode went down. The other guys couldn’t believe it. They ate their lunches silently and grinned.
The next time I went to lunch, I called and invited Bob. I had tuna; he ordered a parfait. I
smiled. “You amuse and confuse me,” I said. “How come you order rich desserts, while I
feel I must eat sensible food?”
He laughed and said, “I am tasting all that is possible. I try to eat the food I need, and do
the things I should. But life’s so short, my friend, I hate missing out on something good.
“This year I realized how old I was.” He grinned, “I haven’t been this old before. So
before I die, I’ve got to try those things that for years I had ignored. I haven’t smelled all the
flowers yet. There are more fudge sundaes to wolf down and kites to be flown overhead.
There are too many golf courses I haven’t played. I’ve not laughed at all the jokes.
“I’ve missed a lot of sporting events. I want to feel ocean spray on my face. I want to sit in a
country church once more and thank God for His grace. I want peanut butter every day spread on my
morning toast. I want untimed long-distance calls to the folks I love the most. I haven’t cried at all the
movies yet, or walked in the morning rain. I need to feel wind on my face. I want to be in love again.
“So if I choose to have dessert, instead of having dinner, then should I die before nightfall,
I’d say I died a winner, because I missed out on nothing. I filled my heart’s desire. I had that
final chocolate mousse before my life expired.”
With that, I called the waitress over. “I’ve changed my mind,” I said. “I want what he is
having; only add some more whipped cream!”
So be happy. Remember: While money talks, chocolate ice cream sings!

VETERANS: 150 returning WORLD WAR II vets will
return from an HONOR FLIGHT to the Washington WW2
Memorial on Jun. 20. If you can, be at St. Kevin’s Church
Hall in Springfield, Pa. to welcome them home!!... Congressman Bob BRADY’S RESOLUTION TO HONOR the
SERVICE of Koreans who fought in Vietnam is heartwarming; 325k served there over the course of the war’ 5k were
killed, 11k injured. Many still suffer effects.
The ALLYSON for Governor website IS SET UP AND
LOOKIN’ GOOD.... The political tricks mentioned in my
last column come from the Book of NULTY (Circa 1960s).
THIN SKIN: Did Mayor NUTTER show irritability over the
charge some city cameras were not operational? City CONTROLLER Alan Butkovitz made the charge. Let’s see, we elected
BUTKOVITZ to be our watchdog. We EXPECT him to ALERT
us to any irregularities. KEEP doing your job, Alan! Thin skin is
reminiscent of the “RUMPOLE” Public TV series. Rumpole
spoke of his wife as “SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED.”... PEOPLE: Hal ROSENTHAL and wife SUE are still in Israel after an
exciting tour that included the Rachel grave, the Nabi Moses site,
and a cave where Abraham is said to be buried.
The wedding in ICELAND of Dr. Mark Watkins of
Philadelphia caused a flurry of internet messages. A popular
and smart physician, he has many well-wishers.... The Editorial zap at State Attorney general KATHLEEN KANE over
her settlement of the HERSHEY Case – the reason many fatcat CEOs whose zeal contributed to our economic downturn
(Cont. Page 16)

STATE REP. ED NEILSON is leading the way on dyslexia awareness. He held a joint
press conference this week with STATE SEN. SEAN WILEY “to bring attention to the ever
important issue of dyslexia as a learning disability.” It’s a great issue for Neilson because several charter schools in his legislative district are focused on special-education needs. Specialeducation needs are responsible for complexities in the public-education system and additional
expenses. With the current fiscal crisis looming in Philadelphia with regard to School District
“finding”, new solutions for both treatment and funding are necessary. Special education is
crucial in the School District’s $300 million shortfall.
MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER, SUPERINTENDANT WILLIAM HITE and CONTROLLER ALAN BUTKOVITZ spent a day in the capitol rallying support to close this deficit
and generate more state and city funding. Needed is $120 million from Harrisburg. The chances
of them receiving anywhere near that amount of money is slim to none, and Slim just left.
However, several legislators are working on finding the funding somehow. STATE SEN.
MIKE STACK and STATE REP. CHERELLE PARKER have introduced legislation to
collect nearly a half-billion dollars in delinquent taxes. The City would receive the ability to
attach liens, take and sell properties, and garnish wages in order to collect the taxes. The City
has claimed for the last several years it does not have the weapons it needs. If this legislation
passes, there will be no excuses.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL CLARKE is generally supportive of this type of legislation but is wary of using garnishment as a tool. But STATE SEN. SHIRLEY KITCHEN
is working on the means test for using the garnishment tool. The intent of the legislation is not
to hurt poor people but rather to collect taxes from people who clearly are in a position to pay
them. In fact, businesses owe nearly $100 million in delinquent property taxes.
COUNCILMAN BOB HENON has been a leader on collecting property taxes in Philadelphia and intends to have several events focusing on delinquent property owners throughout
the city. Henon continues to gain kudos for his skills in Council. He has been a leader on the
AVI issue and also on the delinquent-tax issue.
(Cont. Page 16)

FAX # 215-624-9263
www.unionroofing.net
WE DO OUR OWN WORK • NO SUBCONTRACTORS

www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000

ROOFING

www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000

The Public Record • June 6, 2013

Page 14

Legislators Work To Make Home Invasion Serious Felony
With home invasions on
the increase, State Rep. John
Sabatina and State Sen.
Michael Stack (both D-Northeast) unveiled
respective
pieces of legislation to curb
that crime at the Philadelphia
Police Headquarters together
with Ditrict Attorney Seth
Williams and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsay.
Both legislators will be
pushing their legislation
through to increase penalities
and jail imprisonment time up
to 40 years where it can be
proven the intent was to rob
the family rather than just a
house burglary attempt.
“Home invasion is a serious problem that’s on the rise
around
Pennsylvania,”
Sabatina said. “Specifically in
Philadelphia, numerous communities, including Olney,
Mayfair, Holm Circle and
Rhawnhurst, are dealing with
criminals who simply aren’t

POLICE COMMISSIONER Charles Ramsay praises efforts
by Rep. John Sabatina and Sen. Michael Stack to pass legislation raising criminal penalities for home invasion. Looking
on is DA Seth Williams.
afraid of the consequences of imum security facility, or 10
years for a second offense or
this crime.”
Sabatina’s bill would clas- if the victim is older than 62.
Stack’s bill increases those
sify home invasion as a firstdegree felony with a minimum penalties.
penalty of five years at a max“Strengthening the penal-

In The Court of Common Pleas
Philadelphia County
Civil Action – Law
No. 130402296
Notice of Action in Mortgage Foreclosure
Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc., Plaintiff vs. The Unknown Heirs of Helen C. Case, Deceased, Mortgagor and Real Owner, Defendant
To: The Unknown Heirs of Helen C. Case, Deceased, Defendant(s), whose last known address
is 10850 Ellicott Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154. This firm is a debt collector and we are attempting to collect a debt owed to our client. Any information obtained from you will be used
for the purpose of collecting the debt. You are hereby notified that Plaintiff, Reverse Mortgage
Solutions Inc., has filed a Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint endorsed with a notice to defend
against you in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, docketed to
No. 130402296, wherein Plaintiff seeks to foreclose on the mortgage secured on your property
located, 10850 Ellicott Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154, whereupon your property will be sold by
the Sheriff of Philadelphia County. Notice: You have been sued in court. If you wish to defend
against the claims set forth in the following pages, you must take action within twenty (20)
days after the Complaint and notice are served, by entering a written appearance personally or
by attorney and filing in writing with the court your defenses or objections to the claims set
forth against you. You are warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you
and a judgment may be entered against you by the Court without further notice for any money
claimed in the Complaint for any other claim or relief requested by the Plaintiff. You may lose
money or property or other rights important to you. You should take this paper to your lawyer
at once. If you do not have a lawyer or cannot afford one, go to or telephone the office set forth
below. This office can provide you with information about hiring a lawyer. If you cannot afford
to hire a Lawyer, this office may be able to provide you with information about agencies that
may offer legal services to eligible persons at a reduced fee or no fee. Phila Bar Assoc., One
Reading Center, Phila., PA 19104, 215-238-6333. Community Legal Services, Inc., Law Center
North Central, Phila., PA 19140, 215-227-2400/215-981-3700. Michael T. McKeever, Atty. for
Plaintiff, KML Law Group, P.C., Ste. 5000, Mellon Independence Center, 701 Market St.,
Phila., PA 19106-1532, 215.627.1322.

ties for home invasion crimes
will send a message that these
crimes will not be tolerated
and help ensure the safety of
our residents in Philadelphia,”
Ramsey said.
Both bills will impose sentences and fines on any person
could be convicted of home
invasion if he or she knowingly enters, attempts to enter,
or remains unlawfully in a
dwelling with intent to commit
a violent crime.
“Few crimes are as frightful as home invasion,”
Williams said. “Our homes
should be our safe havens. But
home invasions not only rob
victims of their hard-earned
belongings, but also their
sense of security. I applaud
the efforts of Rep. Sabatina
and his colleagues to make our
communities safer.”
“This crime is uniquely insidious and calls for a more
severe
characterization,”

Stack said. “We need a specific home invasion offense
and I’m glad to work with
Rep. Sabatina, Commissioner

Ramsey and District Attorney
Williams to achieve this in
Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.”

Williams Hails School

MASTERY Charter School in Kingsessing, which was
founded in honor of State Sen. Anthony Williams’ father and
predecessor Hardy Williams, celebrated anniversary with
packed auditorium of proud parents as Senator saluted
school’s leadership.

In The Court of Common Pleas
Philadelphia County
Civil Action – Law
No. 121203245
Notice of Action in Mortgage Foreclosure
Midfirst Bank, Plaintiff vs. Unknown Heirs of Dolores A. Norton, Deceased & Harry Welmon,
Solely in His Capacity as Heir of Dolores A. Norton, Deceased, Mortgagor and Real Owner,
Defendant(s)
TO: Unknown Heirs of Dolores A. Norton, Deceased, Defendant(s), whose last known address
is 6827 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19142. This firm is a debt collector and we are attempting to collect a debt owed to our client. Any information obtained from you will be used
for the purpose of collecting the debt. You are hereby notified that Plaintiff, Midfirst Bank, has
filed a Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint endorsed with a notice to defend against you in the
Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, docketed to No. 121203245,
wherein Plaintiff seeks to foreclose on the mortgage secured on your property located, 6827
Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19142, whereupon your property will be sold by the Sheriff of Philadelphia County. Notice: You have been sued in court. If you wish to defend against
the claims set forth in the following pages, you must take action within twenty (20) days after
the Complaint and notice are served, by entering a written appearance personally or by attorney
and filing in writing with the court your defenses or objections to the claims set forth against
you. You are warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgment
may be entered against you by the Court without further notice for any money claimed in the
Complaint for any other claim or relief requested by the Plaintiff. You may lose money or property or other rights important to you. You should take this paper to your lawyer at once. If you
do not have a lawyer or cannot afford one, go to or telephone the office set forth below. This
office can provide you with information about hiring a lawyer. If you cannot afford to hire a
Lawyer, this office may be able to provide you with information about agencies that may offer
legal services to eligible persons at a reduced fee or no fee. Phila Bar Assoc., One Reading
Center, Phila., PA 19104, 215-238-6333. Community Legal Services, Inc., Law Center North
Central, Phila., PA 19140, 215-227-2400/215-981-3700. Michael T. McKeever, Atty. for Plaintiff, KML Law Group, P.C., Ste. 5000, Mellon Independence Center, 701 Market St., Phila., PA
19106-1532, 215.627.1322.

Elephant Corner

(Cont. From Page 12)
the Commonwealth itself has
owned lock, stock and largely
empty barrel since 2002,
money is so incredibly tight
that there may not be a Public
League unless some money’s
pulled together.
Last week, the district
passed a preliminary budget
that cut, well, just about everything. Teachers? Yep. Nurses?
Gone. Guidance counselors?
Gone, too. Afterschool activities? Fuhgettaboutit….
Of course, the folks on the
School Reform Commission, a
body that is a result of that
Commonwealth takeover I
mentioned earlier, say this
budget isn’t the last word.
They say they’ll be able to restore some of these cuts once
the Commonwealth gets its
budgetary act together.
Forgive me if I don’t share
their optimism, mostly be-

cause I believe any Commonwealth that denies health care
to its citizens despite getting a
nearly 100% contribution
from the federal government,
cuts aid to people with disabilities that need said aid to live,
and happily gives millions of
dollars to an industry that
fouls the air, pollutes the
water and has money to burn,
literally, could really care less
about whether our city’s children can read and write.
Don’t believe me? Then
you haven’t been paying attention over the 11 years. At all.
You see, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania tends to
view the School District of
Philadelphia in the same way a
really spoiled four-year-old
views a pet. It may not like the
pet. It may treat the pet so badly
that it borders on abuse. It may
occasionally leave the pet lying
on the front porch barely alive.
But that spoiled four-yearold would rather that pet die

than let the next-door neighbor’s kid, a kid that cries
every time it sees this poor,
abused pet and wishes he
could help, give that pet the
love and care it needs.
You’re probably wondering who the next-door neighbor’s kid is in this scenario.
Well, that would be us, the
citizens of Philadelphia.
Our School District is a pet
that’s about to die from the
abuse and neglect of the fouryear-old kid that is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It
needs help. It’s bleeding and
battered.
But the adults, most notably
Mayor Michael Nutter, City
Council, and the brain trust
that is the Philadelphia Delegation sit back and watch the
School District and it’s kids get
beaten beyond recognition and
refuse to call the ASPCA (the
federal courts) and demand the
return of local control.
(Cont. Page Page 16)

In The Court of Common Pleas
Philadelphia County
Civil Action – Law
No. 130303769
Notice of Action in Mortgage Foreclosure
U.S. Bank National Association (Trustee for the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency),
Plaintiff vs. The Unknown Heirs of Stephen A. Grelis, Deceased, Nancy Grelis, Solely in Her
Capacity as Heir of the Estate of Stephen A. Grelis, Deceased & Edward Grelis, Solely in His
Capacity as Heir of the Estate of Stephen A. Grelis, Deceased, Mortgagor and Real Owner, Defendants
To: The Unknown Heirs of Stephen A. Grelis, Deceased, Defendant(s), last known address is
1824 Berwyn Street, Philadelphia, PA 19115. This firm is a debt collector and we are attempting to collect a debt owed to our client. Any information obtained from you will be used for the
purpose of collecting the debt. You are hereby notified that Plaintiff U.S. Bank National Association (Trustee for the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency), has filed a Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint endorsed with a notice to defend against you in the Court of Common Pleas of
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, docketed to No. 130303769, wherein Plaintiff seeks to
foreclose on the mortgage secured on your property located, 1824 Berwyn Street, Philadelphia,
PA 19115, whereupon your property will be sold by the Sheriff of Philadelphia County. Notice:
You have been sued in court. If you wish to defend against the claims set forth in the following
pages, you must take action within twenty (20) days after the Complaint and notice are served,
by entering a written appearance personally or by attorney and filing in writing with the court
your defenses or objections to the claims set forth against you. You are warned that if you fail
to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgment may be entered against you by the
Court without further notice for any money claimed in the Complaint for any other claim or relief requested by the Plaintiff. You may lose money or property or other rights important to
you. You should take this paper to your lawyer at once. If you do not have a lawyer or cannot
afford one, go to or telephone the office set forth below. This office can provide you with information about hiring a lawyer. If you cannot afford to hire a Lawyer, this office may be able to
provide you with information about agencies that may offer legal services to eligible persons at
a reduced fee or no fee. Phila Bar Assoc., One Reading Center, Phila., PA 19104, 215-2386333. Community Legal Services, Inc., Law Center North Central, Phila., PA 19140, 215-2272400/215-981-3700. Michael T. McKeever, Atty. for Plaintiff, KML Law Group, P.C., Ste.
5000, Mellon Independence Center, 701 Market St., Phila., PA 19106-1532, 215.627.1322.

www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000

In The Court of Common Pleas
Philadelphia County
Civil Action – Law
No. 130300228
Notice of Action in Mortgage Foreclosure
Bank of America, N.A. Successor by Merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP f/k/a Countrywide Home Loans Servicing LP, Plaintiff vs. The Unknown Heirs of Nadine H. Mitchell,
Deceased & Howard Mitchell, Jr., Solely in His Capacity as Heir of the Estate of Nadine H.
Mitchell, Deceased, Mortgagor and Real Owner, Defendant(s)
To: The Unknown Heirs of Nadine H. Mitchell, Deceased & Howard Mitchell, Jr., Solely in
His Capacity as Heir of the Estate of Nadine H. Mitchell, Deceased, Mortgagor and Real
Owner, Defendant(s), whose last known address is 315 South Camac Street, Philadelphia, PA
19107-5926. This firm is a debt collector and we are attempting to collect a debt owed to our
client. Any information obtained from you will be used for the purpose of collecting the debt.
You are hereby notified that Plaintiff, Bank of America, N.A. Successor by Merger to BAC
Home Loans Servicing, LP f/k/a Countrywide Home Loans Servicing LP, has filed a Mortgage
Foreclosure Complaint endorsed with a notice to defend against you in the Court of Common
Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, docketed to No. 130300228, wherein Plaintiff
seeks to foreclose on the mortgage secured on your property located, 315 South Camac Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19107, whereupon your property will be sold by the Sheriff of Philadelphia
County. Notice: You have been sued in court. If you wish to defend against the claims set forth
in the following pages, you must take action within twenty (20) days after the Complaint and
notice are served, by entering a written appearance personally or by attorney and filing in writing with the court your defenses or objections to the claims set forth against you. You are
warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgment may be entered against you by the Court without further notice for any money claimed in the Complaint
for any other claim or relief requested by the Plaintiff. You may lose money or property or
other rights important to you. You should take this paper to your lawyer at once. If you do not
have a lawyer or cannot afford one, go to or telephone the office set forth below. This office
can provide you with information about hiring a lawyer. If you cannot afford to hire a Lawyer,
this office may be able to provide you with information about agencies that may offer legal
services to eligible persons at a reduced fee or no fee. Phila Bar Assoc., One Reading Center,
Phila., PA 19104, 215-238-6333. Community Legal Services, Inc., Law Center North Central,
Phila., PA 19140, 215-227-2400/215-981-3700. Michael T. McKeever, Atty. for Plaintiff, KML
Law Group, P.C., Ste. 5000, Mellon Independence Center, 701 Market St., Phila., PA 191061532, 215.627.1322.

Out & About

The Public Record • June 6, 2013

crowd was able to be outside
and enjoy the club’s great view
of the Delaware River.
Also on Wednesday, the
Philadelphia Republican Leadership Council held its monthly
meeting, which drew over 70
people. PRLC Chairman Mike
Cibik announced he would be
stepping down as chairman and
asked that anyone interested in
running for that or any other
PRLC office contact him. He
expects to hold elections in the
next few months. Given the recent election of John Taylor as
Chairman of the RCC and the
expectation there will be a détente in the party’s civil war, the
PRLC may change. The members of the PRLC had been on
the insurgent side of the fight
some of its functions may be incorporated into the RCC.
Next Wednesday, Jun. 13,
Taylor will be hosting a
fundraiser for the RCC at the
Rooftop at the Phoenix, 6-9
p.m.

Page 15

(Cont. From Page 12)
of the more-outrageous IRS requests was the demand for a letter from a pro-life group. An
IRS agent asked the group’s
board to attest they would not
protest near Planned Parenthood
sites. I guess this IRS agent slept
through the civics class that covered the 1st Amendment. As the
drama continues to unfold, the
importance of Gerlach’s question last Friday to the outgoing
head of the IRS will hopefully
be answered. Gerlach asked,
and most of us want to know,
who in the Obama Administration knew of these actions and
when?
Last Thursday, the 8th Ward
held a reception at the Racquet
Club. The keynote speaker was
CONGRESSMAN
MIKE
FITZPATRICK (R-Bucks).
Current 8TH WARD LEADER
LINDSAY DOERING introduced Fitzpatrick. Doering also

presented former ward leader
and state party member SUZANNE COHEN with token of
the ward’s appreciation. The
event was well attended, including long-time Cohen allies, former
Republican
City
Committee
CHAIRMAN
VITO CANUSO, RCC GENERAL COUNSEL MIKE
MEEHAN and COMMITTEEWOMAN PATRICIA
MATTERN. Other party activists at the event were WARD
LEADERS
MATTHEW
WOLFE and MIKE CIBIK,
as well as COMMITEEPEOPLE MONIKA CZAPLA,
DENISE FUREY and JOHN
PARTAIN.
Last Wednesday, STATE
REP. JOHN TAYLOR held a
fundraiser at the Quaker City
Yacht Club. WARD LEADER
BILL PETTIGREW, a longtime member of the Yacht Club,
was instrumental in obtaining
the location for the event.
Thanks to the nice weather, the

(Cont. From Page 12)
MARJORIE
MARGOLIES, the recently declared congressional candidate,
has scheduled a fundraiser for
Park Restaurant in Center City
Philadelphia. The three categories of potential contributions are $50, $250 and
$1,000.
It remains to be seen if her
ability to fundraise is as high as
it was 20 years ago when she
was actually in Congress. The
fundraiser is being hosted by
Center City’s DR. NICK
RUBIN.

Stack Weighs Civil-Law Access

Walk The Beat

(Cont. From Page 12)
(some say it was greed), did
not go to jail; it is because you
cannot convict someone for
BAD JUDGEMENT. The
Hershey case is the same.
KANE can’t get blood from a
stone to satisfy the writers.
It is that TIME again. After
a quarter century, the BRADY
BUNCH BEACH BLAST parCRYING NEED for civil-law representation for poor city- ties will again be held in Andwellers was weighed in Senate Law & Justice Committee glesea, N.J. on Jul. 20 at 4
hearing at Phila. Bar Association, led by State Sens. Mike p.m. This year it will be held
Stack and Stewart Greenleaf. Numerous experts testified, in WESTY’S on Olde New
among them Judge Margaret Murphy, at mic, who super- Jersey Avenue.... WELL
vises Common Pleas Family Division, and Chief Justice Ron DONE to Capt. Jim ROCHE,
Castille, right.
outgoing president of the PILOTS Association for Bay &
River Delaware. He worked
hard to make dredging a reality. CAPT. Ward GUILDAY
takes the helm of the group and
will oversee the post-Panama

Canal upgrade impact on river
traffic. Welcome aboard!
And from JOE DOC, JR.’s
PHILLY LABOR page: State
Rep. John TAYLOR holds little hope for NUTTER’S taxenabling legislation to provide
money for the schools.
MAYOR, do not be averse to
trimming the FAT at the top
of the School District ladder.
Go to big 1%-type salaries.
The Governor saying that he
had not been able to find Latinos to work for him … but
there are MANY qualified
Latinos. Maybe they do NOT
want to work for the Administration (?)... This week began
many ODUNDE Festival
events culminating with the festival at 23rd & South Streets on
Sunday, and a reception for the
Ambassadors of SENEGAL
and CAPE VERDE. A business seminar including Consuls

www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000

The Public Record • June 6, 2013

Page 16

City Hall Sam

Walk In’s Welcomed
Appointments Preferred

of GUINEA and LIBERIA will
be held at The Enterprise Center, 46th & Market Streets.
COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE
BLACKWELL is a spearhead
behind this large effort!
The incredible PORTRAYAL of the REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY with
a year of fewer land sales is
EASY TO EXPLAIN: They
laid off MOST of the workers.
The agency, which has guided
City development over a half
century, is a potential victim
of the planned land bank. A
walk THROUGH the RDA
offices feels like a tour of a
PRAIRIE. The solution is
easy: PUT THE LAND
BANK IN THE RDA.

Out & About

(Cont. From Page 15)
Meanwhile, the School District continues to die.
Or should I say the part of
the district that isn’t controlled
by private corporations does.
The charter schools, many of
which should have been closed,
continue to chug along in all of
their under-regulated glory.
Earlier this week, a townhall discussion about Philadelphia acquiring an elected
School Board was held.
But you can’t have an
elected School Board until
someone calls Animal Control
and gets the abused pet that is
our School District out of the
reach of the Commonwealth’s
gang of spoiled four-year-olds.
However, you’d better act
fast. Otherwise, they’ll be
nothing left to save.

CULTURAL DROUGHT
Re: CAN A $470 MILLION RAPPER SING “STARDUST?”
Part 121/130

Continuing Joseph Cirella’s observation about the term “respect” (See
Part 116), he said the word “has almost gone from our society.” Also, the
word respect has largely been ignored and forgotten with regard to today’s
pop music scene, i.e., inventive melodies, great harmonies, voluptous
tones, and elegant rhythms—essence of memorable music.
Here is a list of “absurdities” that have gone unnoticed, and pertain to
mayoral foolishness by politicians representing Philadelphia, New York City,
and the President of the United States concerning today’s (so called)
popular music:
ABSURDITY No. 1: It is absurd for the mayor of the city of Philadelphia to
rehire the same “one note” pied piper from the 2012 Labor Day weekend—
rap festival, now for the 2013 Labor Day weekend, the 42 year old JAY Z.

ABSURDITY No. 3: Mayor Nutter appears to be bowing to New York’s
mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and the New World Order Boys by hiring this
non-musician New Yorker, and disrespecting local musicians for this particular weekend event which honors outsourced labor.
ABSURDITY No. 4: City Hall’s management style is why our
city has been denied a recognizable Philadelphia song for decades.
I wonder how Philadelphia’s founder, WILLIAM PENN, would have
responded to Mayor Nutter’s entertainment choice in reference to his
“Holy Experiment?” If Mayor Nutter’s selection of ‘music’ is of
a performer reciting dirty poetry in a monotoned voice, accompanied
by rhythm with high voltage, these adjectives would also describe
his Honor’s musical taste: backward, undeveloped, crude,
primitive, and uncultivated.
“You’ve Got a Friend in Pennsylvania”
—Nicola Argentina (c) 2013

considerable length the reasons for the growth in the disability
insurance
(DI)
program.
Ruffing noted the “economic circumstances of most
disabled workers are modest,
and in some cases, even precarious.” According to Ruff-

by Michael A. Cibik, Esq.
American Bankruptcy
Board Certified
Question: Can you use
bankruptcy to get college transcripts?
Answer: Bankruptcy can
help in a lot of ways. One less
well-known benefit is to free
up a copy of a college transcript to use for employment
or future school applications,
when you can’t afford to pay
the college back right now.
As of 2013, Americans owe
more in student loan debt than
credit cards. And a growing
portion of that debt is in default.
In some cases, your former college will be a servicer of those
loans for a state lender. Or the
college is owed money from
some other account, like room
and board or part of tuition. In
those cases, the college will
sometimes hold the transcript
hostage to satisfaction of the
debt or at least reasonable payment arrangements.
You can’t blame the college
for trying to do its part to support the financial system that
keeps it alive. But when the
former student files bankruptcy, the rules change.
When the bankruptcy is filed,
an automatic stay is typically
created. The stay prevents a
creditor from taking any action
to collect the debt owed without the court’s permission.
The automatic stay is a
broad and powerful tool. A
Bankruptcy Judge recently
concluded that a college withholding a transcript to force
payment of a debt was a viola-

tion of the stay and the only
question was what damages
would be ordered. The Judge
concluded it did not matter that
the student loan owed to the
college would not be wiped out
in the bankruptcy. It mattered
that the college continued to
use this tool to “encourage”
payment. And that’s enough to
get the college into trouble.
Next Week’s Question:
What is a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy?

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Fax: 215-423-5937

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www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000

ABSURDITY No. 2: Said “single note rapper” has negatively changed
many in society with recorded lewd lyrics, i.e., “IF I OWE YOU I’M
BLOWIN YOU TO SMITHEREEENS/ *CO____CKER* TAKE ONE FOR
YOUR TEAM/ AND I-NEED YOU TO REMEMBER ONE THING... I CAME,
I SAW, I CONQUERED/ FROM RECORD SALES, TO SOLD OUT CONCERTS/ SO MUCH *F__ER* IF YOU WANT THIS ENCORE/ I NEED YOU
TO SCREAM, ‘TIL YOUR LUNGS GET SORE.”

by Michael P. Boyle, Esq.
Last week, I discussed the
testimony given by Kathy A.
Ruffing, a Senior Fellow at
the Center on Budget & Policy
Priorities, before the Subcommittee on Social Security in
the US House of Representatives. Ruffing explained at

The Public Record • June 6, 2013

should have set up when you purchased your vehicle to see if it
needs updating. If that is the case,
you can download it to a USB
and update it yourself or you can
bring it to us (or the dealer you
purchased it from) and have the
update performed for you.
If it is not an update (which
may be the case, as your vehicle is quite new), you may need
to perform a master reset which
will erase all stored data such as
call history, text-message information, and previously paired
phones, and restores your system to factory settings. There
are instructions for how to do
this through Ford support, or
you can have that done at the
dealer as well.
Hope this helps!

account for more than 90% of
income for nearly half of noninstitutionalized recipients,
and more than 75% of income
for the vast majority of recipients.
Ruffing reported mortality
rates among DI beneficiaries
are three to five times higher
than in the general population.
Nearly one-fourth of beneficiaries lack a high-school
diploma, and only 10% possess a four-year college degree. As Ruffing told the
Subcommittee: “Labor-market prospects for such applicants are poor.”
(Cont. Page 15)

Page 17

by Tom Flynn and
Rocco DeGregorio
Question: I am having weird
issues with my Ford Sync. I just
bought my 2013 Ford Escape a
little over a month ago and it is
acting possessed.
When I get a phone call
through the sync, it restarts,
goes to a black screen and a
message comes up that says,
“Performing scheduled system
maintenance.” What the heck is
happening and how can I fix it?
Answer: Reader,
There could be a couple reasons this could happen and ways
to fix it. It could be because you
need to update your sync system
or it could be a glitch.
You can check your
syncmyride.com account you

ing, the “average monthly DI
benefit in December 2012 was
just $1,130 (or $13,564 on an
annual basis).”
According to Ruffing,
“Careful comparison of disabled workers’ benefits to their
past earnings found their benefits replaced about 55% to 60%
of average lifelong earnings for
a median worker, and about
50% to 55% of final earnings
prior to the disability.”
She concluded, “People who
receive
disability-insurance
benefits undergo a sharp drop in
their standards of living.”
Ruffing testified that available surveys show DI benefits

(Cont. From P. 13)
Ruffing further observed, “There is little
reason to think that
many DI beneficiaries
could support themselves by working....
The program’s beneficiaries are people who

worked in the past, lost
their ability to work
substantially, and only
rarely recover.”
To view Ruffing’s
testimony in full, go to
http://www.cbpp.org/
cms/?fa=view&id=3
934.

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